The ruling by Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef that Israeli wines are permissable for Passover use despite certain doubts recently cast on their kashrut, appeared to be unchallenged today, much to the relief of the country’s leading vintners who have already exported thousands of cases of wines and grape juice labeled “Kosher L’Pesach.”
The Chief Rabbinate Council, at a meeting in Tel Aviv last week, did not ban the wines produced by Carmel Mizrachi, Eliaz and other firms, but stated that the Council would not be responsible for their kashrut. That disclaimer was regarded by Rabbi Yosef as an affront to his earlier ruling, supported by a “bet din” (rabbinical tribunal) that the wines were permissable.
Yosef supporters attributed the slight to Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren who is perpetually feuding with his Sephardic counterpart. Neither of the Chief Rabbis attended the Council meeting at which they normally serve as co-chairmen.
The Chief Rabbinate Council held another adhoc session today–also unattended by the Chief Rabbis–but skirted the wine issue. The chairman of today’s session, Rabbi Katriel Tchursh, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the Council has not investigated the halachic aspects of the case and he couldn’t say whether it would. He said, however, that since Rabbi Yosef and his associates had cleared the wines, there was no reason to ban their use here and abroad.
RABBI YOSEF URGES CAUTION
The doubts arose some weeks ago when it was alleged that certain wineries used starch, a leavened (chometz) substance instead of fruit in the fermentation process which would have rendered the wines unusable for Passover.
Rabbi Yosef said his investigation disclosed that the starch was not used in the wines but in other beverage products and that the machinery had not been cleaned between uses. He ruled in consultation with other rabbis that sufficient time had elapsed between the use of the machinery to remove any doubt about the Kashrut of the wines. However, Rabbi Yosef cautioned observant Jews not to consume liquors and other liquor products produced by the wineries this Passover.
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